The Old Friend
by Shadowdib
Summary: While stopping for some food, Sylvia and Wander happen to hear a story being told, and Wander recognizes the storyteller- another one of his species he knew from a long time ago.


Sylvia had seen a lot over the past few years she'd been traveling the galaxy with Wander. Creatures from the size of a pin to the size of a planet, with problems and solutions large and small.

One thing she'd never seen, though, was another one of Wander's species.

Wander hadn't said much about it, and she hadn't pressed- species were sometimes spread thin or became endangered, after all, and it was possible he didn't like talking about it. She wasn't about to drag up painful memories when she had more than enough of her own.

"The hall shimmered with golden vines, nature having overtaken parts of the temple. However, there were still intricate designs mapped over the walls, and it didn't take long for Quincen to decode the runes."

However, when stopping on a nearby planet for food, she'd spotted someone who looked shockingly like Wander. Same color, same general shape, same fur- however, while Wander's eyes were deep brown, this creature's were blue, and it had a large loopy curl above them. It also had on a sleeveless turtleneck sweater, with scruffy orange fur poking out the bottom almost like a skirt. The one big difference, though, was that it wasn't wiry like Wander- it was more rounded, with a thicker torso and limbs.

Sylvia hadn't intended to stop, but realized she had when her feet dug into dirt. Wander turned to see where she was looking, and his eyes widened as his mouth spread into a grin.

"Well, I'll be darned!" He slid off of her back. "I haven't seen them in ages!"

"You know them?" Sylvia said.

"Sure do. It's been a long, long loooong time, though." Wander walked over and plopped down near the back of the crowd, crossing his legs. Sylvia followed- the person did seem to be telling a good story.

They wove a tale of ancient artifacts being stolen from off-planet, then returned to their rightful place within the temple. She found herself getting swept up in the excited performance as they gestured with a pen, turning it into everything from a sword to an umbrella and grappling hook. Wander was clearly hanging on to every word.

At the end, a few people tossed coins into their bag, and they smiled. "The best payment will be if you share the story with others!"

When they closed their bag and moved to leave, Wander hurried up. "Goodness, you've barely changed! Still telling your stories?"

"Still helping people?" They smiled. "Dusty?"

Wander shook his head. "Wander, and he. What name do you go by these days?"

"Pen, but it used to be Muse. I liked that one, but people got the wrong idea. I prefer to learn the stories, not inspire them. It's still she."

"Both are quite fittin' for you, either way." Wander waved to Sylvia, urging her closer. "This here is Sylvia, the best friend this side of the cosmos."

"Oh! It's lovely to meet you!" Pen held out her hand with a smile, blue bracelets clanking about on her wrist, and Sylvia shook it.

"So you two... grew up together or something? I don't think I've ever met somebody that looked like Wander." Sylvia guessed, and the two shared a glance.

"You could say that. How much have you told Sylvia?" Pen asked.

"Not a whole lot, but my past ain't important." Wander said.

Sylvia had wondered more than once, of course, (especially after learning where he got the Hat) but Wander could be infuriatingly tight-lipped whenever she tried to ask.

"Well, we did know each other as children." She smiled. "I'll let him tell you when he's ready. It was lovely to meet you, though. Thank you for listening, today's was one of my favorites."

"Are there more of you?" Sylvia blurted out, and Pen tilted her head.

"We're scattered, but it's hard to really get rid of us." She grinned. "We all have our ways of keeping busy. I share stories, so that people who cannot tell them themselves are remembered. I know one who devoted themselves to learning botany on every planet they come across to help keep the environments clean. What really unites us is just that we don't particularly like to stay in one place." She held out her arms, and Wander let out a little happy squeak before rushing into them, pulling her into a tight hug.

She hugged him back with the same ferocity. "I've heard about your good deeds. The universe needs you, especially at a time like this. That Dominator's such a mess, aren't they? But things will work out... eventually. They always do."

"Do you want to have lunch with us?" Sylvia asked, and Pen blinked.

"I... would like that very much." She smiled. "Thank you."

They found their way to a diner, Wander chattering the whole way and Pen listening with rapt attention.

"You're much braver than I could ever be." She toyed at her bracelets. "I know it's difficult to get hurt, but..." She leaned in close, but Sylvia could just barely hear her. "Don't you worry about your friend?"

"Nah, Syl's great at gettin' herself outta trouble!" Wander said easily. "Heck, she rescues me more than anything!"

"I'm glad you found someone to keep you company, then." She smiled and pulled back as Wander held the door open for her and Sylvia, the bell tingling above their heads.

The shop was bustling, and Wander asked what sandwiches they wanted before heading up to the register as Sylvia and Pen sat down in a booth.

"How long ago did you two know each other?"

"A long time." Pen said simply. "I won't say much, but I will say that Wander has always been high energy and prone to trouble. I'm glad he found you- he's better when someone's there to keep his head on his shoulders."

"Don't I know it." Sylvia leaned back. "Nice to know he isn't the last of his kind. Always kinda worried about that."

"He isn't, but it's not very often someone sees more than one or two of us. We spread out pretty far, once we grow up. Often it's one to a galaxy." She used a little straw to draw patterns in the spilled salt on the table. "I didn't think I'd see him again for a long time, but go far enough and you end up near where you began. Although by then, everything's changed."

"Here ya go!" Wander had procured plates as well, and settled down next to Sylvia. They all dug in, Wander and Pen exchanging tales of galaxies Sylvia hadn't even heard of.

"And then, they tried to tear up my sweater because clothes were illegal there!" Pen laughed. "I took it off as soon as I realized of course, but that sure was a tense few hours."

"We'd do fine there!" Wander grinned. "Have you ever been to Bingleborp? Their festival-"

"Isn't it the cutest thing?" She interrupted. "Those carnival games are so fun, and they're all so happy."

"I know, right!" Wander finished off his sandwich.

"Do you have anywhere to be?" Pen asked, tilting her head.

"We kinda go wherever." Sylvia said. "We really just stopped here for the food."

"Ah." Pen said. "That makes sense. I don't usually have much of a plan either. I've been here for about two weeks and I'm about ready to move on. We're lucky that we met. It was nice catching up with you." She'd finished her food as well, and set the little plate on the pile on top of the trash can. Wander grabbed Sylvia's and set it on top of his own before doing the same.

They headed outside the diner, and she did a little curtsy. "I'm sure our paths will cross again, even if our experiences made us slightly different people by then."

Wander tipped his hat. "Hope the stars will take you somewhere real nice."

She smiled. "And may they keep you safe. You'll need it." She tugged her messenger bag over her shoulder and pulled out a container of Orbble juice, and they watched her pull out a pencil and notebook as she drifted off into the sky, scribbling down something they'd couldn't see.

"So, gonna tell me how you know her?" Sylvia asked as Wander hopped up on her back.

"We were kids together. I might have kinda sorta maybe gotten into trouble sometimes, and she was always writing everything down, whatever it was."

"You might have gotten into trouble sometimes. What a shock." Sylvia said, turning back to face him and rolling her eyes even as she smiled. "I'll get the whole story out of you one day."

"It's nothing to fuss over." Wander waved a hand, using the other to grip Sylvia's reins. "I grew up on a ship in space, when I got old enough, I left, same as anyone."

"A ship?"

"A big one." Wander said. "No different from growin' up on a planet."

"Huh. Somehow I always figured you popped out when a star went supernova or something." Sylvia said with a little shrug.

"Aw, that'd be amazing!" Wander laughed. "Nice seein' her around, though. I'm never lonely with you around, Syl, but..."

"But there's something about family and old friends, I know." Sylvia finished. Look how easily she'd slid back in with Ryder, after all, and he was a much worse influence than this Pen.

Wander pulled the Orbble juice out of his hat, pulling the bubble around them in one practiced motion without Sylvia even breaking her stride. They headed off into the stars, and the weight on her back (what little there was, Wander was such a pipsqueak) made her smile at the thought of friends old and new.

* * *

A/N: This is my sorta self-insert mostly-oc that I used to explore a few headcanons about Wander's species. (I do just go with the star nomad title for ease, even though I didn't explicitly use it here.)

Feedback would be wonderful!


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